Monthly Archives: August 2010

Remember the days when school started in September? September has a lot to offer in family fun. Not only do you have Labor Day, but there is Grandparents Day and National Good Neighbor Day. Of course to all you educator’s out there, who can forget Johnny Appleseed’s birthday is in September. This month is also the “Better Breakfast Month.”

For many families, breakfast is usually grabbing something as you run out the door like a Pop-Tart or toast or slurping down a bowl of cereal. Sadly, even, some families just skip breakfast all together. Why not use this month to get into the routine of serving healthy breakfasts this school year? In fact, my 13yo just the other day asked why I didn’t purchase Pop-Tarts anymore. My simple reply was…… they aren’t real food. And while standing there in the cereal isle, I handed her a box and asked if she recognized any of the ingredients. Her reply, “No.” ((ahem)) not real food……..

I have taken my grandmother’s pancake recipe and have given it a make over. I use unbleached, un-enriched, white wheat flour, vanilla soy milk, and farm fresh eggs in my batter. They are just as delicious. I have added more real fruit smoothies made with soy milk to our menu. The kids love it and well….. to be honest….. I feel better serving it. The farm fresh eggs are untainted and the chickens are treated well. ((Whew!!)) what a relief. I have even pulled the eggs right out from under the chickens myself on occasion. Talk about fresh!!

Be sure to plan a week’s worth of healthy breakfasts in advance. It is so much easier to make a nutritious breakfast if you know what you are making and all the ingredients are there ahead of time. Also, ask your family members for their input for great ideas. Add more fresh fruits to the menu. It is amazing what a fresh apple can do to spruce up a breakfast plate. Besides, an apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away…… or at least that’s what I have been told.

You should probably know by now, but in case you don’t….. I love animals. I am a mother of 7 kids…. two 2-legged and five 4-legged. I have talked about each of my kids and you know how much they mean to me. All of our dogs came from either a dump site or the shelter. My spaniels were abused by their previous owners and they hold a very special place in my heart.

Working with the abused animals, I know that structure and loving care is the perfect remedy to their mental state. Our recent rescue, Fred, is a much older dog and has made great strides to overcome his bad potty habits. You must understand…. he was in an environment that gave him no choice but to potty where ever he was standing. We are lucky. Fred is a quick learner and wants to please. Every once in a while he may have an accident and we are careful as to how we handle the situation. We don’t want to sound abusive but we tell him “bad dog” in a firm loving way. Seems to work thus far……

Here recently, though, I have found a wet spot in our hall. I have continually called Fred over and scolded. He would give me the oddest blank look. Every day I would clean it up just to find that it had happened again. After about a week, I was doing the old putting his face down to it and telling him “No.” Again with the odd look…… Two weeks had passed and it was still happening….. but the amount had increased. I was getting upset and frustrated. He wasn’t learning his lesson. I felt I had no choice but to rub his nose in it……again, he looked at me like I had lost my mind. I was at my wits end…..I cleaned up the mess only to find an hour later it was soaked again…….UGH!!!

Until……I was going to replace the AC filter. I pulled open the vent….which by the way was next to the Fred’s favorite “wet spot.” I discovered the AC was leaking water and it was pooling in the hall. OH! I felt horrible!!! Here I have been scolding this precious babe for 2 WEEKS!! No wonder he was giving me the strange look!!!! Needless to say, he’s going to be spoiled for 2 Weeks!!!!

Perhaps, my super mom costume needs to be recharged….. Perhaps, I need my head examined…… Perhaps, my eyes are bigger than the hours of the day….. Whatever the case may be, I must confess….. I’m pooped!

I have taken a part time job and I didn’t realize how giving up 5 hours a day would make such an impact. My goal to have a balanced life has had to undergo some major reconstruction. My happy daily schedule has been thrown into the air and slowly has crashed down one goal at a time. My goal for walking in the morning has suffered. Reading the Bible twice a day has dropped to once. Meditating has become a nap time. Keeping the house in order and clutter free…..ahem…..has fallen to the back burner. Home cooked meals have been rushed and resorting to microwave soy burgers and French fries. UGH!!!! Everything I have worked so hard to do right is now a distant memory. Writing….well…..I haven’t been putting a lot of time into it…….more like no time has been put forth.

I’ve only had my job for two weeks now and I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing…….I just don’t know how to do it all! I can barely keep my eyes open in the evenings to read my Bible. The fact of the matter is I need to keep the job and figure out a schedule that will help me keep a good balance. Right now, I feel like I don’t see Mark and the kids. I just hate feeling that way.

This morning, as I packed my family’s lunch boxes, I couldn’t help wonder what they are doing while they are eating……Is my 13yo surrounded by good friends and chatting away about the past weekend’s events? How about Mark? Is he working while he eats or is he enjoying a movie on Hulu.com? And my 9yr old, is he trading his PB sandwich for someone’s ham and cheese? ((sigh)) I miss having lunch with the kids……..

As I zipped up the lunch boxes, my son came over to grab his and stuff it in his back pack. “Remember, Mom, lunch is at 12:20. Don’t be late!” he stated as a matter of fact. Smiling, I remembered I promised to have lunch with him every Monday (my day off). “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I replied.

Oh how I miss those days with my daughter. Now she would absolutely die if I joined her for lunch. UGH! Why can’t they just stay little???? My boy will be in Middle school in two years and I bet the same will happen…… But for now, I am happy to have Mondays……and who knows I just might pop over to the Middle School and check my teen out for lunch…..at the park of course.

Well, noon is drawing near and I gotta get ready….I have a lunch date, ya know!!